Opinion

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

‘Westworld’ and ‘Black Mirror’: when the real world mirrors science fiction

Dec. 5, 2016

I don’t recall how or why I started watching “Black Mirror” and “Westworld;” only that I began both in an attempt to distract myself from finals week and was immediately hooked. Much like my introduction to “Game of Thrones” a few years ago, as soon as I began binging these shows, I found that everyone around me was talking about them, obsessing over fan theories and expressing the discomfort these fictional worlds instilled in them. Warning: spoilers ahead.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Drop your phone; enjoy the greenery across UF's campus while you still can

Dec. 5, 2016

For many students, a typical walk to class consists of a sigh of remorse and the comfort of sweet melodies seeping through some Apple headphones. With eyes locked on the pavement below, students make their walk in straight lines, firm in their mission to avoid confrontation by any means possible.

---

OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Past, future and Simpsonwave

Dec. 5, 2016

As college students of the 21st century, we’re stuck in that weird place between a longing for nostalgia and anticipation of tomorrow’s technology via futurism. Perhaps one of the most hysterical and disturbingly beautiful products of this emotionally grappling crossroad is Simpsonwave.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The ideas behind UF’s Strategic Development Plan

Dec. 5, 2016

In the aftermath of many months of planning, I’m both exhausted and exhilarated.

---

OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

The battle was won, but the war continues

Dec. 4, 2016

On Sunday, the Dakota Access pipeline saga finally came to an end.

---

OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

$80,000 for Arianna Huffington's speech is appalling

Dec. 4, 2016

A big — as in HUGE — editorial is needed concerning the outrageous sums Accent Speakers Bureau pays to speakers. The $80,000 that will go to Arianna Huffington is just the latest outrage. (I'm a liberal so my objection is not political.)

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Not all shows and franchises are meant for revivals

Dec. 4, 2016

It’s become increasingly common for reboots, remakes and sequels to be produced for films and series that were created in the recent past.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Until next time: some words of farewell for seniors, students

Dec. 4, 2016

Well, dear readers, the end is near. The end of the semester, that is. To those of you who are graduating, congratulations! I hope from the bottom of my heart that life treats you well and that you accomplish everything you hope to. To those of you who are not graduating, good luck on finals, and I’ll see you right back here on this page next year! For my last column of the year, I’d like to not focus on endings but, rather, beginnings.

---

OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels: December 2, 2016

Dec. 1, 2016

You’re sitting in the doctor’s office, waiting with anticipation for Dr. Pepper to come in to treat you. After what feels like an eternity, he finally knocks on the door and lets himself in. “So, you’ve been cut in half. Vertically. How you were even able to do anything apart from bleed out on the floor, let alone get up, schedule a doctor’s appointment and attend this appointment, is nothing short of a miracle. Frankly, everything I know about medicine has been undermined by your survival.” You stare blankly at him, then despite your larynx literally being severed in half, manage to shout out “God damn it Doc, speak English! How much time do I have left to live?” Shocked you’re even able to reply, he stutters, “A few minutes, I think? Once again, you’ve literally been split down the middle.” “Oh thank God,” you mutter, spitting blood everywhere. “Just enough time to read the only thing worth living for,

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Do not mourn the death of a dictator and his legacy

Dec. 1, 2016

When news of Fidel Castro’s death broke out, the reaction of the Cuban community was one of elation. Cuban-Americans danced and sang in the streets, celebrating the death of a dictator who had divided their families, forced them into exile and, in many cases, imprisoned and executed some of their closest friends and relatives.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

How a virtual civil war between Reddit's leaders and The Donald tainted trust

Dec. 1, 2016

For this entire calendar year, Reddit, “the front page of the internet,” has been waging a secret war on one of its most popular and active subreddits: The Donald. Created around the time of President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential bid announcement, this community of brave souls who were courageous enough to proclaim themselves pro-Trump on a website as public as Reddit started off small, with only about 6,000 subscribers after its first six months of existence. Then, sometime around February, an inexplicable spike in subscribers was initiated and has yet to show signs of slowing down. Now with more than 300,000 subscribers, or “centipedes” as they are called on the subreddit, The Donald has become one of the most cohesive, discussion-based and meme-making subreddits in the website’s history.

---

OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Absurd arguments: the societal leech

Nov. 30, 2016

Perhaps one of the most famous (and offensive) myths perpetuated by financial conservatives is that all of those who receive government assistance in the form of welfare checks or food stamps are either lazy, addicted to drugs and alcohol or both. Today, we are going to evaluate how absurd and ignorant this view is.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Obama’s response to Castro’s death lacked empathy

Nov. 30, 2016

Fidel Castro is dead. Finally. For years, there were rumors regarding the Cuban leader’s declining health. His public appearances had become scarce since he transferred power to his brother Raúl in 2006. But late last Friday, news broke that the 90-year-old had passed away.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Reaching out or growing deep: the different ways we make and keep our friends

Nov. 30, 2016

I came home for Thanksgiving very eager to shut myself inside the house and relax; my sister came home very eager to get out of the house and see all the friends she had left behind. It’s not that I don’t have friends in my hometown. It’s just that one of them doesn’t come home for that short break, and the others I see in Gainesville anyway. I didn’t really keep in contact with all the people I was friendly with in high school. Maybe in the beginning I did, but in the end, only the really strong relationships lasted.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Presidential experience: It’s the quality, not the quantity, that counts

Nov. 29, 2016

First off: My name is Mia, and I’ll be joining the opinions section next semester as a regular columnist. I love music, politics, great food, good books, comedy and being outdoors. That’s all you need to know about me — on with the column!

---

OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

A matador and his muleta

Nov. 29, 2016

Tuesday morning (at 6:55 a.m. to be exact), early riser and esteemed tweeter President-elect Donald Trump turned his attention toward those who seek to make political statements via flag burning. “Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag – if they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!” the tweet read. Before we go any further on the implications of this tweet, know these things: In 1989, the US Supreme Court ruled that flag burning is a protected practice under the First Amendment. Additionally, we here at the Alligator in no way condone flag burning. We will continue to point out the many things this country has to improve on, and we will always do our best to point out injustices where we see fit. However, that flag symbolizes more to us than a collection of our shortcomings, and we cannot condone such a behavior.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

I paint my nails, and my dad doesn’t like it

Nov. 29, 2016

The first time I dressed in drag, I was in the seventh grade. I was at my neighbor Elena’s house for a Halloween party, and I didn’t have a costume. Elena took me into her room and painted my nails black. Then she applied eyeliner, mascara and lipstick to my face. Finally, she put me in this tight-fitting dark-blue dress and, voila, I was in costume. I washed most of the makeup off and put on my regular clothes before coming home from the party, but I left the nail polish on. I liked the way it looked.

---

OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter: Raise your voice for Results

Nov. 28, 2016

This year’s election has been the spotlight of many conversations, and we want to make sure the new leaders are aware of the issues facing their people.

---

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Home again: a week of Thanksgiving firsts and looking to the future

Nov. 28, 2016

Thanksgiving always manages to shift your perspective, creating a different effect with each visit. It can make you nostalgic, anxious or maybe just send you straight into that existential tailspin the Alligator detailed in last week’s editorial. It’s a brief reprieve from a tedious collegiate schedule and a reality check on life in the Gainesville bubble. It’s a week of compromise: with your parents promising not to pry too much about post-graduation plans and you tolerating the pageantry of the Christmas-card photo shoot in return. Despite this being my last Thanksgiving Break as an undergraduate, I experienced a variety of firsts, proving that while I grow and change, so does my home.

---

OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

The ‘Great American Hypocrisy’

Nov. 28, 2016

On Thanksgiving, it is custom to sit at the table with those you feel most connected to in your life and be grateful for the simple things. When we sit down at that dinner table, surrounded by good food and better company, we remind ourselves to be thankful for the little things: a good meal, our health and togetherness. As soon as the meal is complete, another great American tradition begins: Black Friday shopping.